Vacuum tank with elevated fuel supply



May 13 1924.

A. F. BROTZ VACUUM TANK WITH ELEVATED FUEL SUPPLY Filed Aug. 14. 1922 WITNESSES NNVENTOR 7, a A TTOlQN Patented May 13, 1924.

UNITED STATES ,v 4 1,493,454 Aviano Farce,

ANTON FRANK BROTZ, or xonmn, wrsoousm, assrouoit TO KOHLER commuter KO'HLER, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION OF WISCONSIN. v

vacuum ranx wrrn ELEVATED FUEL SUPPLY.

Application filed August 14,1922. Serial No. 581,807.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ANToN FRANK Bno'rz, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Kohler, in the county of Sheboygan and State of Wisconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements in Vacuum Tank with Elevated Fuel Supply, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which are a part of this specification.

This invention .has for its object to provide for the use of a vacuum tank for supplying fuel to a gas engine or the like from an elevated fuel supply.

In the use of gas engine operated generators for radio work on shipboard it is found necessary,.to comply'with safety regulations, to locate the fuel supply tank on an upper deck." Direct connections for gravity feed from such a tank to the float chamber of a carburetor would be dangerous as liable to empty the entire contents of the fuel supply tank into the radio room or wherever the engine is located -should the float valve fail to work or the connections become broken.

It is therefore the purpose of this invention to draw the fuel from the elevated tank by means of a siphon and to utilize a vacuum feed tank to establish the spihon and also by the operation of its float-valve-controlled vent to break the siphon, whereby the amount of gasoline supplied will not exceed the quantity predetermined as'safe.

While the invention is particularly designed to suit the requirements of the condi tions above mentioned, it is obvious that it is suitable for use wherever for'any reasons the fuel supply is at a higher elevation than the vacuum tank. a

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists in the vacuum tank system for elevated fuel supply and all equivalents.

Referring to the accompanying drawings in which like characters of reference indicate the same parts in different views,

Fig. 1 is an elevation of a fuel supply system for a gas engine operated generator including a vacuumtank with elevated'fu'el supply in accordance with this invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the vacuum tank showing its respective connections.

In these drawings 10 indicates a gas enine o erated generating unit such as used or re. io work on shipboard and 11 is the vacuum tank thereof supplying fuel by gravitythrough pipe 12 to the carbureter 13, as usual, while 14 is the'suction pipe from the intake manifold of the engine tothe float chamber 15 of the vacuum tank, also according to common practice. The float 16 controls the valves of the suction pipe 14 and a vent pipe 17 in the usual manner but, in addition to the fuel pipe 18, through which the suction condition in the float chamber .is communicated for the purpose of drawing fuel from the supply tank, there is another pipe 19 also communicating with the float chamber through the cover of the vacuum tank. The pipes 18 and 19 extend upwardly to an elevated fuel supply tank 20. The fuel pipe 18 makes a U.-bend and enters the opening 21 at the top of the fuel supply tank 20, forming a siphon tube for delivering fuel from the elevated tank to the vac:

uum tank. The pipe 19, also makes a U-bend higher than the U-bend of the fuel pipe and connects with the U-bend of the fuel pipe, I

preferably at its highest point. In practice the short legof the U-bend of pipe 19 is of enlarged diameter and connects with the pipe 18 where. the latter enters the fuel supply tank.

In operation, when the supply of fuel in.

siphon 18, thus lifting the fuel from the.

tank 20 and fillin the pipe 18 so as to establish the siphon t erein. Fuel does not fill the pipe 19 because of its U-bend being higher than that of pipe 18 and, while some fuel may rise in the enlarged stand ipe forming the shorter leg ofthe -U-bend of pipe 19, the stand pipe is of such length that the degree of suction possible wit in the float chamber will not lift the fuel to the top of the bend of pipe 19. As soon as the siphon is established fuel is conducted through pipe 18 to the float chamber, lifting the float and changing the valves, whereupon atmospheric pressure, being admitted to the float chamber and commum'cated'by pipe 19 to the top of the U-bend of the siphon tube by Letters Patent is:

i. A fuel supply for an internal combustion engine comprising an elevated fuel tank, a siphon having its shorter leg within the tank, a vacuum tank connected with the longer is of the siphon for filling the si-.

phon, an a siphon breaker connecting the bend of the siphon with the vacuum tank whereby the venting of t'ne vacuum tank will cause atmospheric pressure to be communicated by the siphonbreaker to the bend of the siphon to break the siphon.

2. A fuel supply for an internal combustion engine comprising an elevated fuel tank, a si hon tube having its shorter leg within said tank, a vacuum tank having the longer leg of the siphon tube in communication with its float chamber and sensitive to the suction created therein for filling the siphon tube with the fuel from the elevated fuel tank, and a siphon breaker tube having a U-bend higher than the U-bend of the siphon tube with its shorter leg connected with the U-bend of the siphon tube and its longer leg connected with the vacuum tank aid in communication with the float chamr. 3. A fuel supply system for an internal combustion engine comprising in combination with said engine and its vacuum tank delivering fuel to the carbureter and subject to suction from the intake manifold, an elevated fuel supply tank, a siphon tube forming a U-bendwith its shorter leg within the fuel tank and its longer leg connected with the float chamber of the vacuum tank, a stand pipe rising from the U-bend of the with t e float chamber of the vacuum tank.

4. A fuel supply system for an internal combustion engine having an elevated fuel supply tank comprising a siphon tube, a vacuum tank operated by the engine and supplied with fuel from the fuel tank through the siphon tube by, means of the suction within the vacuum tank, and means for breaking the siphon in the siphon tube when the vacuum tank is vented.

5. A fuel supply system for an internal combustion engine having an elevated fuel suppl tank comprising a vacuum tank connecte with the engine, a siphon tube connecting the fuel tank with the vacuum tank and filled by the suction withinthe vacuum tank, and a siphon breaker tube connecting the U-bend of the siphon tube with the vacuum tank to communicate atmospheric pressure to the U-bend of the siphon tube when the vacuum tank is vented.

6. A fuel supply system for an internal combustion engine having an elevated fuel supply comprising a vessel delivering fuel to t e carbureter of the engine, a float chamber having valved communication therewith, float operated valves in the float chamber for connecting the interior of the chamber alternately with a vent for-admitting atmospheric pressure and with a suction pipe from the intake manifold of the engine for creating a suction or partial vacuum, a siphon tube having its shorter leg within the elevated fuel tank and its longer leg connected with said float chamber whereby the suction within the float chamber will fill the tube and start the siphon, and a siphon breaker tube extending'above thesiphon tube and connecting the U-bend thereof with the said float chamber for communicating atmospheric pressure to the U-bend of the siphon tube to break the siphon.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature.

ANTON FRANK BROTZ. 

